With summer coming to a close it means it's time to get back to reality. Which means no more vacations and kids have to head back to school, unfortunately it doesn't seem to mean the end of the summer heat(at least here in LA!) 

But, there are positives here too. Fall foliage, the kids HAVE TO head back to school, and most importantly a chance to finally settle into your new space! Summer is one of the most common times of year to move, which means Fall is filled with plenty of home projects. Not the least of which is furnishing. But where to begin? Well, we'll tell you. 

Each room has its own purpose and features, and that means different furniture(duh.) Though it may seem obvious, it's not always simple to pick a starting piece when you're staring at a completely empty space. So let us help you solve your problem room by room.

Dining Room

A simple place to start. The dining room has an obvious purpose and therefore an obvious answer, the Table. You may love the antique chairs that Grandma Joan gave you, but don't let them limit your table options. Start by asking yourself, "how many people do I realistically want to sit at the table?" That will help you to narrow down the approximate size of the table and allow you to see what else you can fit into the space. Maybe there's space for a credenza! Don't let that distract you! Stick to the table, and find one that fits your dimensional requirements and aesthetic tastes. You may find that the only table you like doesn't allow you space for a credenza after all(not a problem you would have with a Croft House table thanks to our any piece any size system!) As every table needs a centerpiece, so does every dining room, and your table fills the need.

Bedroom

Now it starts to get interesting. Contrary to popular belief, I do not believe the bed is the first piece you need to find for your bedroom. Like the dining room, to determine the most pressing need you have to ask yourself a question. "Do you have enough built in storage?" Not every room has an adequately sized closet, and if it doesn't you may need to bring in a chest of drawers.  The space allotted for a chest of drawers could decide the difference between our Railcar Bed and our Havenhurst Bed. If you're not able to fit a chest of drawers, then it's time to move to the bed and decide if a piece like our Hudson Bed with built in storage is the way to go.

Living Room

The Living Room is the room that involves the most restraint. Though a coffee table may be the center piece in the space, the seating is of the upmost importance. The size and shape of a coffee table must be dictated by seating in the room, and the orientation of the seating is dictated by the shape of the room. A longer coffee table is best for a standard sofa, while a square or circle coffee table fits perfectly into a space that has seating facing more than one direction.

Though everyone uses their spaces different, the primary purposes remain. Make sure to start your room off in a way that allows you to fit all of the pieces together. It's always a process, but try and remember that is supposedly the fun part!